It is known to provide an inflatable restraint system in a vehicle to augment protection traditionally afforded vehicle occupants through the use of seat belts and other components of in an interior of the vehicle. In some vehicles, the inflatable restraint system may be an air bag system disposed within an interior or occupant compartment in the vehicle in close proximity to either a driver occupant or one or more passenger occupants. Typically, the air bag system includes an air bag module attached to vehicle structure and having an air bag for deployment through an opening in a cover to extend into an occupant compartment of the vehicle. The deployed air bag restrains movement of the occupant to help protect the occupant during a collision.
It is also known to provide frontal air bags for forward protection of an occupant. The frontal air bag is typically provided in a vehicle steering wheel for protection of the driver occupant and another air bag is provided in the instrument panel for protection of the passenger occupant. As a result, many different parts are needed for the driver and passenger frontal air bags because they are currently in separate modules on the steering wheel and instrument panel.
Further, these frontal air bags are packaged directly in front of the occupants to assure that the air bags are between the occupant and the vehicle interior. As a result, it has been proposed to provide additional occupant sensing and analysis electronics to control deployment of the frontal air bags in cases of out-of-position occupants and rear-facing child seats.
It is desirable to provide a frontal air bag that provides frontal protection while not deplying in a directly rearward direction. It is also desirable to provide a frontal air bag for an occupant in a vehicle that helps to reduce energy imparted to out-of position occupants and rear-facing child seats. It is further desirable to provide to deploy a frontal air bag from a pillar of a vehicle body.